It was once in a snowy forest that I befriended a wolf which helped me caught alot of prey.
It was twice in a moment of unrest, neither a game nor food to find for days; hunger indeed made us pray.
Coldness had become one with me as I lost my compass and track in a hazardous blizzard.
But a familiar territory upon sight meant reaching homewards in two nights and be freed of the adversity.
The wolf had watched me studiously and refused the greens and fruits I ate days before the scarcity.
For fresh blood it did seek, untamed by the circumstance and unmindful of human words and expression in all assurance.
Weak in a week of frostbite with teeth chattering, I pointed a gun with cold hands to my carnivorous companion as temperature kept dropping below zero.
Tears stood in my eyes as it howled strikingly, for it was time to be apart or this extremity will make none of us a Hero.
Run away Wolfy!! Run!!
Run away Wolfy!! Run!!
Lest your predatory instincts kicks within and you attack me when hope lingers in my sleep.
Lest I shoot you in cold hunger beyond temptation or any anticipation to keep.
Go to your pack over the icy mountains for surely, we will meet again and back to our old hunts at our fittest.
Run Away Wolfy!! Run!!
For the memory of your speed, endurance, bite force and strength in hunt had always been obvious.
Go, before nature shake hands with time and fate to make matters oblivious.
I threw a snowball dipped in red ink to somewhere far away, watched the wolf chased it,
before disappearing to the territory.
Poet of the Winter · page 11 · Hear it on the channel ↗
Commentary
This poem delivers a deeply emotional and suspenseful narrative, centering on the bond between man and beast against the unforgiving backdrop of winter. Unlike typical predator-prey dynamics, this story-poem explores companionship, survival, and an inevitable separation driven by nature’s unyielding forces.
The poem begins with an unusual friendship. A huntsman and his wolf companion, who once worked in harmony to secure prey. But winter’s cruelty disrupts their bond, forcing them into a desperate struggle for survival.
Days pass with no food, no game, and only scarce greens and fruits, which the wolf refuses to touch, its instincts unchanged, still craving fresh blood. As the huntsman loses his compass in a deadly blizzard, coldness becomes his constant companion, weakening him further.
Then comes the critical moment, frostbite, chattering teeth, and a gun raised in trembling hands. It is no longer a test of loyalty, but one of survival. The wolf, sensing hunger, sensing frailty, lets out a striking howl, a cry that signals the end of their journey together. The huntsman, choking back tears, realizes that instinct will soon take over, forcing his companion to make a choice, hunt him or leave him. The repeated plea, "Run away, Wolfy! Run!", underscores the urgency of parting ways before fate turns one against the other. In a final act of bittersweet farewell, the huntsman throws a snowball dipped in red ink, creating a distraction for the wolf to chase. It works, the huntsman disappears to the territory.
Yet, the poem ends with a lingering promise—the huntsman believes they will meet again, once more as partners, at their fittest.